Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken

There’s a reason boneless, skinless chicken breasts are a weeknight dinner MVP. They’re affordable, crowd-pleasing, quick-cooking, and are a blank canvas for your favourite flavours. They’re also the perfect meat for stuffing with delicious things. Here, a springy mix of asparagus, fresh mozz, and sun-dried tomatoes wakes up this weekday workhorse in a recipe that’s quick enough for Tuesday night, but special enough for a weekend dinner party. 

Slice it right.
To create space for stuffing, grab a sharp knife and carefully make a horizontal slice into the chicken. You want to cut deeply enough to make room for the stuffing, but not so far that you slice the chicken breast in half. Tuck the asparagus, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes inside and then use a toothpick or two to keep the chicken sealed. If you goof up and accidentally slice the chicken in half, don’t panic. Just use a few more toothpicks to keep the chicken together—and remember to remove any hidden toothpicks before you serve the chicken.

Season inside—and out.
The flavourful stuffing combo is great, but don’t forget to add a little salt and pepper to the inside of the meat. To make sure the outside of the chicken is also delicious, you’ll sprinkle a mixture of dried herbs, smoked paprika, and garlic and onion powder on the chicken. This simple spice blend is a good thing to use whenever you’re making chicken breasts, so you might want to make a double batch.

Get saucy.
The finishing touch for this dish is a delicious, couldn’t-be-easier lemon butter sauce. Once the chicken comes out of the oven, add butter and lemon juice to the pan and swirl it around until the butter melts. That’s it!